Holiday Wishes

Wishing you all a romantic Christmas and an erotic New Year.  

 May the coming year bring all your sweetest dreams to life. 

Love, Juniper

Stuff Your Stockings Blog Tour

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely getting into the Christmas spirit these days. 

Hunky Santa always helps, of course. 

Especially if his reindeer look anything like this.

Somehow, pictures like these put me in a giving state of mind. Christmas, to me, is all about gratitude. For instance, I'm grateful for hot men (can't you tell?), my family, my wonderful sweetie whom I love so much, the opportunity to write stories and especially to you READERS!!

So as part of the Stuff Your Stockings Blog Tour, I'm offering a prize to two winners: the first is a $25 gift certificate to winner's choice of Amazon/Ellora's Cave/Samhain; the second is the winner's choice of any two books from my backlist. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what you're grateful for this Christmas.

Easy peasy! Not only that, but if you click on the Stuff Your Stockings graphic below, you'll be linked back to an amazing list of authors who are giving away all kinds of gifts this weekend.

So enjoy, stuff your stockings, enjoy the holiday season, and hug your loved ones. 

Peace and love,

Juniper

Jingle Bell Hop -- On the Second Day of Christmas

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ....

 Two Turtledoves, No Money Back

Jingle bells jangled as the door of Fluff burst open in a flutter of tinsel. Carrie jumped around in alarm, nearly trapping her hand inside an African Gray’s cage. A tall hunk of a man dressed in an expensive gray winter coat was blasting his way toward her, an ornate birdcage brandished in one leather-gloved hand.

“I want to return these birds. I expect my money back. With interest.” He plopped the cage down on the counter. Carrie peered at the pair of perfectly harmless-looking Streptopelia turtur, otherwise known as European Turtle Doves, perched inside. They cocked their heads at her and cooed.

“What’s wrong with them?” Puzzled, she looked back at the irate customer, only to find her breath snatched away by the impact of his jade-green eyes and late-in-the-day stubble.

“They’re worse than a horror movie, that’s what. You’ll be lucky if I don’t charge you for all the damage they’ve done.”

“These are turtledoves, not cobras. Turtledoves hide out and coo all day. That’s why they’re a symbol of devoted love, though as an ornithologist I never really bought into that romantic crap.”

The man, if possible, grew even more enraged. “Well my girlfriend did buy into that romantic crap. Turtledoves for Christmas, that’s all I’ve been hearing about for weeks. So I finally gave in and bought her the evil beasts.”

“Birds aren’t beasts. Beasts implies a mammal, whereas birds are descended from dinosaurs, which, come to think of it, could be called beasts, since it’s not exactly a scientific term...” She frowned, puzzling it over.

“Who are you?” He slapped one hand on the counter and leaned in. She caught of whiff of fresh snow and noticed a stray snowflake on one black eyebrow. Lord, he was a good-looking man.

“I’m an avian veterinarian. I’m here to help the new Rosy Bourque Parakeets settle in.”

“A bird vet? Perfect. Maybe you can explain why these demented birdbrains tried to peck out my girlfriend’s eyes. She had to lock herself in the bathroom.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would they do that?”

“You tell me. After they scared the life out of her, they knocked over the candles I’d lit and set the tablecloth on fire. While I was running for the fire extinguisher, they flapped around the room, squawking up a storm, and managed to spill a bottle of champagne. At least it put the fire out. But that was a five-hundred dollar bottle of Veuve Cliquot.”

“Special occasion?” Carrie gingerly opened the door of the birdcage. True, turtledoves tended to be unpredictable in captivity, but she’d never heard of one pecking at someone’s eyes.

“Marriage proposal.”

“Oh.” A quick shaft of disappointment surprised her. She murmured to the turtledoves, who gave a peaceful trrr trrr in response.

“Yeah. I bet you can guess her answer.”

“I’m sure if she loves you and you love her, her answer was yes.”

“Well, it wasn’t. She thought I was trying to kill her.” All the ire left his voice, leaving only a weary sadness.

“I’m very sorry. But clearly that’s absurd. Turtledoves aren’t anyone’s murder weapon of choice.”

The birds looked alert and bright-eyed, perfectly healthy. One of the doves stepped onto her forefinger, wrapping his claws around it for balance. She brought it out of the cage, murmuring soothingly the whole time.

“What are you doing?” The man stepped back in alarm.

“I’m showing you there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these birds.”

“Are you kidding? I should have wrung their necks on the spot. I don’t know why I didn’t get my shotgun out.”

Now it was Carrie’s turn to glare. “Probably because you didn’t want to ruin your fancy bachelor pad.”

“Excuse me?”

“These birds are perfectly fine. Maybe your girlfriend’s the one with the problem.”

“Oh really? What problem would that be?”

Carrie had had it with this arrogant, anti-bird bozo, now matter how sexy he was. “I don’t know. Maybe her problem is you. Did you ever think it just wasn’t meant to be?”

Jacob couldn’t believe his ears. This petite little scrap of a woman, with her big blue eyes and cinnamon hair fluffed around her head, was taking the turtledoves’ side over his? Of course she might have a point about Liz. He’d been so relieved when she turned him down, he’d decided not to throttle the birds or hand them over to animal control. But still. They’d wreaked havoc in his house, which was not a bachelor pad, no matter what the snippy bird vet thought. 

“Are you saying these doves know what’s best for me and my love life?” He used the low, menacing tone of voice he employed with the criminals he interrogated on the witness stand.

“Maybe they do. They are symbols of romantic love, after all. Aren’t you, little sweetie-kins?”  She cooed at the dove in a revoltingly endearing way. The bird responded by rubbing his feathered neck against her wrist. He experienced a sudden longing to do the same. Despite her lousy attitude toward customer service, she had a serene, grounded air that he found incredibly appealing.

“Here,” she said suddenly. “Why don’t you two get to know each other a little better? You probably didn’t get properly acquainted. European Turtle Dove, meet…”

“Jacob Harper.” He shifted uncomfortably. Had he just introduced himself to a bird?

“James, meet European Turtle Dove. He’s a member of the bird family Columbidae. He likes woodland walks, rooting around for seeds, and falling in love. Turtledoves are monogamous and mate for life. Your turn.”

“Um…” Though he felt ridiculous, those wide blue eyes wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“I like walks in the woods too, but I’d go for a steak instead of the seeds. And I’d like nothing more than to fall in love.”

“You weren’t in love with your girlfriend?”

Ouch. She sure knew how to stick the knife in the wound. “The hell if I know. She had everything I thought I wanted. Beautiful, smart, good family connections.”

“Wow, can’t imagine what went wrong.”

Her sarcastic tone made him laugh ruefully. “Okay, so I’m not as good at romance as I am in the courtroom. That’s why I got the turtledoves. Figured they’d do the job for me.”

“Mr. Harper, they’re just birds. Maybe that was asking too much.”

“Call me Jacob.” As if she’d ever have occasion to call him anything again.

“Okay. I’m Carrie.”

“Carrie.” For a moment they stared at each other. The turtledove cooed peacefully as she stroked its back in an absent-minded manner. He reached out a finger to touch the bird. He’d never even taken the turtledoves out of the cage until the disastrous proposal. Its delicate brownish-gray feathers were deliciously soft. A patch of pastel pink adorned its breast. It was exquisitely beautiful, though Liz had been disappointed that the doves weren’t white. 

He accidentally touched Carrie’s hand and felt a current of electricity travel up his arm. He snatched away his finger. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Her eyes widened. Had she felt it too? Curious, compelled, he reached out to stroke her feather-soft hair. Again, that remarkable spark ignited his blood. Her pupils dilated. He leaned toward her, needing to explore this mysterious connection. Their lips met.

Magic. Pure, raw magic. She tasted like the outdoors, like pine trees and marshmallows and campfires in the snow. She tasted like a promise of everything good and sweet and real. Right then and there, he made up his mind not to let her out of his life, if he could help it.

When they finally pulled apart, she put a hand over her mouth, looking flushed and adorably rattled. “I’ll tell you what, Jacob Harper. I’ll give you your money back. But you should keep the birds.”

“You’re giving them to me?”

“Yes. This species can be a wonderful choice for the right person. They’re a bit wild but worth the extra attention. I recommend a ten-foot high aviary and an occasional treat of mealworms.”

He caught the purple-ringed eye of the dove. Was that a wink? “You’ll have to help me get everything just right. For their sake. And mine.”

She blushed even more deeply. “Fine. I’ll be happy to help you.”

Eyes a-blaze, heart a-glow, he pulled her into another deep, soul-searing kiss. 

The turtledove lifted off her finger and perched on the top of the cage. The other bird hopped to the door and flew up to join its partner. They cooed and rubbed their necks together. In the back of Jacob's mind, he wondered what all that trrr trrr-ing meant. Not that it really mattered. All that mattered was how he intended to win Carrie’s heart forever.

On top of the cage, a deep, wordless discussion was taking place. “Typical humans. Trrr trrr. Don’t they listen to the actual song? Who do they think the line “my true love gave to me” refers to? Just anyone you’re hot for?”

“Would you relax, my love? Trrr trrr. At least she got it right. She gave her true love two turtledoves, even if she didn’t realize it. True love always wins out.”

“I guess all’s well that ends well. I just wish it didn’t take so much work.”

“Oh, you. As if you didn’t enjoy that champagne.”

“Trrr trrr. You know me so well, my sweet.”

“Stop that! Not in front of the humans.”

“Oh please. They’ve forgotten we exist. Look at them. By the time they’re done with that kiss, it’ll be the Third Day of Christmas.”

“Well, I think it’s romantic. I guess I’m a sucker for true love.”

“We’re turtledoves, what do you expect? Now let’s show these humans a thing or two about necking.”

“Trrr trrr TRRR.”

 The End

Thank you so much for joining the Jingle Bell Hop. Click here to start at the beginning or to get back on the "tour bus."

You probably already know about all the prizes offered as part of the hop. Well, here's one more. My next release is called BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION from Ellora's Cave. I just got the cover yesterday, so here's the world premiere! If you leave me a comment, I'll put you in the running for an ARC of this super-hot menage as soon as it's available.










May true love surround you with peace and joy this holiday season.

Love, Juniper

Countdown to the Jingle Bell Hop!

This blog hop is going to be SO FUN! We're doing a Twelve Days of Christmas theme, and I signed up for the Second Day of Christmas, the two turtledoves. If you click on the banner above you can sign up to receive a reminder about the hop once it's underway. As always, there will be amazing prizes, including a KINDLE FIRE! I hope you'll join us as we kick off the holiday season with eye candy, sexy stories, and fun prizes.

Contract News

Signed and sealed ... well, signed anyway ... my next release will be BEAUTIFUL OBSESSION from Ellora's Cave. Release date TBA, cover soon to come, blurb still to be written, but I can tell you this much: it's about a graduate student who becomes obsessed with three mysterious, inseparable students. It's a menage, it's experimental, and it's one of the hottest things I've ever written.

I can't wait!

Ripped Roaring Halloween Hop

Happy Halloween! Welcome to Juniper's House. Last Halloween I promised my blog hop winner she'd be a character in a story. So here's Cathy MacDonald in...

WEREWOLVES DO IT WILD

“I won’t be a stupid ghost! I won’t, I won’t!”

Cathy MacDonald gave up with one final eye roll of frustration. Of course her obstinate son Dylan would turn down the easiest costume, the one she’d already made in the five minutes between work and Trick or Treating.

“Fine, then. Pick something else. But make it quick. Kids are already hitting the streets.”

Dylan uncurled himself from his facedown sprawl on his bed. “I’ll be a…” His glance zeroed in on his favorite stuffed animal, the one he’d slept with every night since the age of two. “Panther. A black one.”

“I do believe they’re all black, except for that goofy pink one,” Cathy murmured, mentally calculating the time it would take to stuff a black stocking with newspaper to make a tail. At least he hadn’t chosen something really complicated, like Picachu or Angry Birds Rio. “Get your black jeans and black sweater. Whiskers, ears…piece of cake.”

She wanted to say, “Good choice,” but was afraid that might make him change his mind. He’d been so difficult lately, not her normal sweet-natured boy at all.

“Thanks, Mom.” He smiled, a brief flash of his old self.

Minutes later, completed tail in hand, she hurried into the kitchen. Dylan, all in black, had the refrigerator open and was glugging milk straight from the carton. “Dylan! You know better than that!”

Dylan raised his head quickly, giving her a shock. The pupils of his normally green eyes were so dilated they looked black. 

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, honey.”

“That’s okay.” He put the carton back in the fridge. “Sorry, Mom.” But he didn’t look sorry. He looked annoyed.

“Turn around, I’ll pin this to your butt. Then I’ll draw you some whiskers with my eye pencil.”

“I don’t need whiskers. I’m not five.”

“Eight year old panthers don’t have whiskers?”

“Okay, whatever. But what are you going to be, Mom?”

She drew whiskers on herself. “A panther’s mom, of course.”

They joined the kids and parents roaming the neighborhood amid gusts of wind and swirling autumn leaves. At the first house, the woman who answered the door smiled down at Dylan.

“What are you, young man?”

Dylan made his hands into claws and roared. Cathy stepped back and put a hand to her throat. She’d never heard a sound quite like that come out of her son’s mouth. 

“He’s a panther,” she said, when she could. “And I’m a panther’s mom.”

“I see.” Shakily, the woman tossed him a granola bar. Dylan caught it in the wink of an eye, gave it a scornful glance, and turned away.

“Dylan!”

“Thank you.” He snarled over his shoulder.

As the evening went on, and the streetlights made spooky shadows from the motley parade of costumes, Cathy became more and more shocked by her son’s behavior. He snatched the offered treats and buried them in his plastic pumpkin. He shoved other Trick or Treaters out of the way with a harsh hiss. He ignored her completely, pacing ahead of her or off to the side.

By the time they reached Mr. Gideon’s house, she was nearly in tears. Ben Gideon was Dylan’s third grade teacher and, truth to tell, Cathy had a secret crush on him, the first since Dylan's father had left them. Dark, virile, magnetic – his sex appeal wasted on a bunch of eight-year olds. He was thoughtful too; the only teacher she’d been able to approach with her concerns about Dylan, and the only one able to control him.

But why had he chosen to dress as a werewolf? She shuddered as his deep, dark eyes smiled at her from behind glued-on fur. He wore a Medieval-looking leather gherkin over bulging muscles and lots of fake black chest hair. At least, she assumed it was fake. If not, he sure was…manly. She had to admit he wore it well, with a sort of Hugh Jackman flair.

“Happy Halloween,” he growled. “Having a beastly night?” 

“Yes,” Cathy said, nearly bursting into tears, until she realized he was referring to Dylan’s costume. “I…I think he’s taking his costume a little too literally.”

Ben Gideon’s sharp gaze focused on Dylan, now standing a few feet behind Cathy. Standing? More like skulking.

“Dylan,” said Gideon sharply. “Can you hear me?”

“Of course he can hear you. Whether he chooses to listen, that’s another issue.”

But Gideon ignored her. He brushed past her. Her nose prickled at the unexpected, gamey scent of wild thing. He loomed over Dylan, who crouched on the ground.

On all fours.

“Dylan. Get up,” she pleaded, mortified.

Dylan’s whole body quivered. In the light of the open door, his shadow blackened the concrete driveway. Wow. Distracted for a moment, she congratulated herself on her handiwork. Her son’s shadow looked exactly like a cat, the way the tail swished back and forth, the way his hindquarters twitched, as if he was getting ready to pounce…

And then he was leaping through the air toward Mr. Gideon’s throat, claws extended, mouth open on a long yowl.

Claws? She hadn’t given him claws. Everything went black and she crumpled to the ground.

  

***

When she woke up, she was inside Ben Gideon’s house, on his couch, and his worried dark eyes were staring into hers. “Are you all right?”

“That depends.” If everything was a weird dream, then sure. Otherwise…She glanced around the room. In the corner, a young, sleek, black panther lapped milk from a bowl. “No. No. No.”

“I’m afraid so, Cathy.”

“What? Afraid so what?” Someone needed to spell this out, because…what the fuck?

“I’ve been noticing the signs but didn’t know how to tell you. Dylan’s a…well, you can see for yourself.”

“No, I can’t.” She squeezed her eyes shut to make it true.

“I know this is hard. And strange. But you’ll get used to it. Your son’s a shifter. A were-cat. There are worse things to be, Cathy. He’ll have amazing powers, when he learns to control them. I can vouch for that."

She inched her eyes open and let his dark glance steady her. God, he was sexy. But what a time to notice that.

“And you know this because…what, you’re a werewolf?” She laughed to take the edge off the absurdity of it, all the while knowing the truth.

“You know what they say,” he said, with a devastating hint of a smile. “Werewolves do it wild.”

She stared at him. The panther finished his milk, sat on his hind legs and licked his chops. With one paw, he swiped a drop of milk off his whiskers. Dylan had never been that tidy. Then he trotted over to the couch, jumped up and curled in the nook between Cathy’s hip and the couch cushion. Contented purrs filled the air.

“My sweet boy,” whispered Cathy, touching him gently on his glossy head. The purrs doubled in volume. She smiled. The boy Dylan rarely let her cuddle him anymore. 

“Now that he’s shifted for the first time, his behavior will improve, I promise. If you let me, I’ll help you both through this phase. Teach you what you need to know.”

He lifted her chin in his lightly furred hand. Intense heat radiated off his body, along with a dizzying, primal sexuality. 

“It would be my honor and pleasure,” he added in a husky whisper. "I can't get you out of my mind." The promise in his eyes brought all her latent lust for this man boiling to the surface. She leaned in and their lips met. Wildfire cruised through her veins. 

Whatever Ben Gideon was, she wanted him. Whatever Dylan was, she’d take care of him. She was a panther's mom, after all. Why not a werewolf's mate?

"Do werewolves really do it wild?" 

"Only one way to find out."

 

Thanks for reading! To return to the Blog Hop, click on the banner or here. Feel free to explore the rest of my blog while you're here. And because I love comments, if you leave me one I'll put you in the running to star in a story for next Halloween.

Have a Beastly Halloween!

A New Life for The Extremist

I just realized I haven't mentioned my re-release of The Extremist here yet! I got busy with the release of Go Deep and kept putting it off ...

So here it is. The Extremist was my first erotic romance novella and one of my favorites because it's about a woman coming out of her shell--a great way to begin my career as a writer of steam. ;-) Liquid Silver Books published it, for which I will always be grateful. Now I have the rights back, so I decided to put it up on Amazon and Smashwords. Dar Albert created this gorgeous, sexy new cover, Kinsey W. Holley helped me with some editing and formatting, and voila! It also has a new, lower price -- one I think is more suited to a novella. It will also eventually be available on Kobo, Nook, Sony E-reader, etcetera.

Here's the blurb and the Kindle buy link if you'd like to check it out.

CLICK TO BUY

  BLURB

 

Sex on the beach…just what the doctor ordered.

Lovely, shy Annie Swenson has a few phobias. Okay, more than a few. Crowds, heights, sun, public exposure.  When her therapist urges her to take a vacation, she picks a remote island in the Bahamas – the perfect solo hideaway.

So much for plans. Who knew she’d be the only single woman at the resort? Who knew her nemesis from college would be staying there?  Who knew she’d be desperate enough to introduce the gorgeous man behind her in the buffet line as her boyfriend?  

The sexy stranger goes along with her charade…for a price. Before she knows it, she’s playing his erotic, boundary-pushing games and loving it. How far will she go? How many of her inhibitions will she shatter? And who is this mysterious man known as “The Extremist”? After a vacation like this, Annie’s life will never be the same.

Reader Advisory: This novella contains explicit sex, light bondage, exhibitionism, a supremely hot Aussie, and, of course, sex on the beach. 

Peace and Love, 

Juniper

Rhian Cahill's All of You

One of the best things about attending RT last year was getting to meet so many wonderful readers and authors. For instance, the awesome RHIAN CAHILL. She's an Aussie, and you know how fun they are. Anyway, she has a new release out today, and she happens to be traveling here in the States so a bunch of people are helping her get the word out about ALL OF YOU.

CLICK TO BUY

Only You series

Claire Jones never dreamed the fantasies she’d been having about the young guy next door would ever become reality but after a push from her best friend and one encounter involving dirty laundry she’s getting more reality than one woman should be allowed. But with reality comes emotion and Claire finds herself falling deeper and deeper under Ryan’s spell.

Ryan Doherty wants in Claire’s pants but he soon discovers hot sex isn’t all he’s after. She makes him happy in a way nothing and no one else ever has and if he has to use their amazing chemistry to stay in her life he will. Because having more of Claire isn’t an option. It’s the only choice.

Can Ryan and Claire bridge the age gap to find the love of a life time or will what others think destroy the best thing either of them has ever found?

EXCERPT

Frazzled, hot, and sticky she was ready for a whole bottle of wine when she finally approached her drive at little less than top speed. Too distracted by her own annoyance, Claire didn’t notice the man standing in the parking lot until she nearly ran him over. Cursing a blue streak any sailor worth his salt would envy, she slammed on the brakes, threw the car into park, and flung her door open.

“Are you fucking crazy!” she screamed as she launched from the vehicle. “I could have run you dow—” The air left her lungs and her words caught in her throat. The glistening flesh of a god-like, bare male chest numbed her mind and turned her body into a quivering vessel of need.

Ryan.

God the man is to die for, Claire would have had to be dead not to notice. Even dead I’d notice him. She tried to swallow over the lump of harsh words in her throat.

“Evening, Claire, bad day at the office?”

Ryan’s smirk should have been irritating. Instead it did funny things to her belly, stirred and warmed it like soup in a saucepan. She licked her lips, swallowed again, and finally dragged a few words from the depths of lust-induced stupidity. “Drive home.”

Jeez, could I be anymore lame? The man probably thought she was an idiot. Hell, she acted like a dumb schoolgirl every time he was around, so who could blame him if he did?

“Ah, yes. I heard there was a bad accident on the highway earlier. They said traffic would be screwed for hours.”

His gaze dropped to where her blouse sat snug across her breasts, the material raising and lowering with every labored breath. Her nipples strained beneath her bra. The look in his eyes one of hunger—desire. Could Jane be right about him?The thought sent shockwaves of heat bursting out from the breasts he hadn’t stopped staring at. Her pulse quickened, her breath turned short—choppy. Her clit ached, and Claire squeezed her thighs together to ease the throb.

Ryan’s nostrils flared, and his gaze came back to meet hers. The heat and lust swirling in the green orbs delivered another burst of heat to her body. Claire shivered. Goose bumps sprang up all over her skin and moisture filled her panties. God, if he could do that with a look what could he do with a touch? Sparks of gold ignited in his eyes, and Claire wondered why she’d never noticed those flecks of light before. Had she ever allowed herself to look that close?

No. She’d kept contact with Ryan to a minimum. Usually because she found it hard to string a sentence together with the way he had her body exploding to life whenever he got close. Oh, who was she kidding? Just thinking about him sent her nerve endings into a frenzied bunch of sex-craving knots. Claire closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. Big mistake.

The scent of hot, sweaty male filled her nose and lungs. Her body went from mild arousal to fever pitch in a nanosecond. The smell of a hardworking man had always turned Claire on, but coming from Ryan it tweaked her senses on a whole new level. Her pussy throbbed and turned slick, her breasts swelled and grew heavy, her nipples rasped against the cotton bra she wore. Her eyes popped open wide, and without permission her torso leaned closer to what tantalized her.

A cool breeze ruffled the hems of her skirt and blouse, drifting beneath the material to flow over heated skin. Her clit burned with want, and Claire knew she could climax with minimal effort. Hell, she was so close it would take no more than a brush of his hand or lips to set her off.

Shit. She had to get away.

Without a word she spun on her heels and dove back into her car. Slamming the door, she put the car in gear and shot into her parking spot. In one move she switched the engine off and grabbed her handbag. After jumping from her seat, she shut the door with her hip and strode across the asphalt. Aiming her keys over her shoulder, she activated the door locks and alarm.

“Gotta go. Can’t stop,” she called out as she made a dash for the front of her townhouse . . . safety.

It took longer than she liked to fumble her way inside and close the door behind her. Slumping against the cool timber, Claire let her head fall back with a thunk and stared at the ceiling in her foyer. She shuddered. She’d just made a complete fool of herself, and even if she’d been remotely contemplating doing as Jane had suggested and what her body screamed for, she’d probably just managed to ruin any hope she may have had at succeeding.

CLICK TO BUY

Congrats, Rhiann, it sounds great! Happy travels and happy release day!

Juniper 

First Review for GO DEEP

Big sigh of relief -- the first review of Go Deep is in, and it's a great one! 5 hearts from Sizzling Hot Book Reviews. I love that blog, so it's even more exciting. Here's the link, and a few choice snippets.

"I was sucked into Go Deep very quickly. Gavin and Beth are unique characters and I loved the depth and emotion that Juniper Bell was able to give them in a short amount of space."

"Go Deep is a touching and revealing story that left me missing Gavin and Beth as I finished it."

 Thank you, Stacey and Sizzling Hot Books, for such a lovely, thoughtful review.

Juniper

GO DEEP is out today!

I love release days ... it's kind of like an extra birthday. Today is the release of GO DEEP from Ellora's Cave. It's the second in a series set during the winter festival Wild Nights in Wild, Alaska. Here's the blurb and another excerpt, a hot one this time. Enjoy!

Click to Buy

Go Deep

Juniper Bell

A standalone sequel to Go Wild.

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

ADULT EXCERPT

When Gavin stepped naked into the room, the world had changed.

Beth sat on the bed with a man. A stranger. He had long black hair and straight black eyebrows. He was dark-skinned, with some Native Alaska blood, perhaps. His eyes met Gavin’s. He’s a wild thing, thought Gavin. Free. A creature of the wilderness.

Gavin remembered that he was naked. The hell if he’d try to hide himself in his own cabin. Hockey players weren’t exactly shy. He was very used to being bare-ass in front of other men. His eyes traveled back to Beth’s, looking for guidance. She blinked twice, looking anxious. The tip of her tongue made a quick pass across her lips.

“In the photograph,” she whispered, “there were two men.”

Two men. He looked at the intruder again. The man returned his gaze steadily.

“My name’s Eagle,” he said in a deep voice. “Your wife asked me to come.”

“I met him at the ice pond. He…I asked him to help.”

Gavin’s heart skipped a beat at the plaintive tone in her voice. His poor girl must be terrified of his reaction. But she’d done what he wanted. She’d summoned the courage to bare her fantasy like this.

Eagle spoke. “I told her I’d have to meet you first.” A little zing of heat traveled between the two of them.

“Well—” Gavin had to clear his throat. “What do you…”

“I’m into it.” The quick answer made Gavin’s cock jump. “If you are.”

Gavin looked at Beth, her face flushed, tilted away from him. “I want to make her happy. But this is new to me. To us.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’m a little nervous too.” Eagle’s dry tone made all three of them relax. “How about we start with the photograph. Your wife told me about it. You’ve seen it.”

Obviously not all of it. But he nodded.

“Figured we could go from there. Nothing’s going to happen that you, me and Beth aren’t okay about.”

Gavin felt his nervousness ease. He wouldn’t just be a spectator. He had some control over what was to come.

“It sounded hot, that photo. Two men, one woman. She’s naked, but they aren’t.” Eagle brought his hand to the neckline of Beth’s catsuit.

Gavin took in a deep breath. Beth’s eyes were cast down, toward the floor. He had the urge to take her into his arms, squirrel her away under the covers. But that’s not what she wanted right now. “Unzip her,” he said.

* * * * *

The relief made Beth so dizzy she barely noticed when Eagle unzipped her catsuit. A whoosh of air on her nipples sent a shaft of excitement through her insides. This was actually happening. A strange man was actually undressing her, just as she’d dreamed ever since she’d seen that photo. And maybe before…

Her eyelids drooped and she let her head fall back. She wanted to be handled like a baby, like a toy. She’d done her part—she’d brought the three of them together and showed them what she wanted. Now she wanted to put herself in their hands. Two men using her, pleasuring her. Eagle spread the two sides of her catsuit apart, exposing her torso to Gavin’s scalding gaze.

“In the photo,” said Eagle. “One man is fondling her, the other man is watching.”

Beth moaned. Hearing him speak it aloud was unbearably arousing. Eagle touched her nipple, lightly, but that was enough to make her entire body jump like a fish.

“You’re making me hot,” muttered Eagle. He spread his palm across her chest, between her breasts, so her two nipples peaked on either side of his hand. The heavy warmth of his hand, just above her heart, gave her a melting sensation. Eagle shifted her so she sat between his legs, leaning her back against his hard chest. She breathed in his scent, like fresh forest air. So different from Gavin’s.

Raising her eyes to her husband’s, she felt another wave of relief that he was still here, that he hadn’t run off or called it quits. The opposite, in fact. She knew that look on his face. It meant he wanted her, desperately. His cock reared between his legs in proud arousal. He looked magnificent, like a naked warrior. She knew that Eagle admired the sight as much as she did when his cock hardened behind her.

Two stiff cocks. The thought made her head spin.

She shifted restlessly, needing more.

Eagle plucked at her nipples. The rough friction sent shock waves straight to her sex. She arched and twisted against the white vinyl of the catsuit still hugging her hips.

“You want out of this thing, sweetheart?” Eagle asked.

She nodded manically. He took his hands from her nipples and pushed the catsuit down as far as he could reach. Gavin kneeled down in front of her and peeled it off her legs. It was a two-man operation, with Eagle lifting her ass up while Gavin pulled the suit down. The feeling of being stripped by two men gave her a deep, unaccountable thrill.

When her body was free of it, she wriggled deliciously, feeling like a butterfly released from a cocoon. Her body flushed with a giddy sense of freedom.

For the first time in her life, she was completely naked in front of two men. And it felt good, so good.

Her skin breathed in the warm air, basked in their appreciative gazes. Where was her shyness, her restraint? Gone with the cocoon, she supposed.

“You’re a knockout,” said Eagle in a thickened voice. The fact that he was getting so turned-on gave her an extra thrill. He cupped her breasts in his warm hands, so dark against her pale skin. He thumbed her nipples. Heat shafted to her belly. She responded with a throaty moan that would have embarrassed the old Beth. She spread her legs apart and smelled her own arousal, piercing and sweet.

“I have to lick her now,” said Gavin in a voice raspy with lust.

“Do it,” Eagle urged. He scraped his thumbnails across her aroused nipples until she wanted to scream. It felt strange to have them discussing her like that. Strange and intoxicating.

Gavin crouched between her legs, strong hands on her inner thighs. She could tell he was restraining himself from taking her like a savage beast. His black hair brushed against her inner thighs. Goose bumps pebbled across her flesh. He spread open her lips and tasted her clit with delicate stabs of his tongue.

Oh God! She thrashed from side to side, or tried to. Eagle held her arms bound to her sides in a tight embrace. Gavin took one of her buttocks in each hand, his large thumbs pressing into the upper part of her thighs. His strength made her liquefy. Strong man at her pussy, strong man at her breasts. Her body theirs to tease, stroke, torment.

CLICK TO BUY

HUGS!

Juniper 

Hard at Work Labor Day Blog Hop

Hi, I'm Juniper Bell, erotic romance author. Welcome to my stop on the Hard at Work Labor Day Blog Hop!

You know what they say ... parenthood is the hardest job you'll ever love. Now that I'm a stepmother, I totally understand this statement. I think my husband is an amazing father. In honor of him, and all dads, here's my Labor Day tribute to all those men who are Hard at Work ... at home.

What could be sexier than a bare-chested man holding a teeny-tiny baby? Um, maybe one with a fireman's helmet? Men with babies always make me melt. Almost as much as ...

... men ironing, cooking and

cleaning the shower.

And of course, no matter how much work he does around the house, our hero is still willing to fill the gas tank ...

play handyman...

And read to the kids.

No wonder he's tired by the end of the day.

But why let him nap when you can wake him up and show him some love?

So here's to Hard at Work men at home. You have no idea how sexy you are.

I'll be celebrating Labor Day with a new release, Go Deep, which comes out on September 7 from Ellora's Cave. If you leave me a comment, I'll put you in the running for an extra prize -- an ARC of Go Deep and a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

Here's the blurb for Go Deep. Scroll down to the next post for an excerpt. Enjoy!

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

Read More here.

And click here to return to the Blog Hop.

Happy Labor Day!

Love, Juniper

GO DEEP Excerpt #1

Ellora's Cave has an excerpt from Go Deep on their coming soon page, but I thought I'd post another one for some variety. Enjoy!

A standalone sequel to Go Wild.

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

EXCERPT

The final touch was the mask. Once she put that on, she screwed up her courage to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. At the sight of her reflection, a surge of such fierce power rushed through her that she had to steady herself on the bathtub. The woman who stared back was an erotic work of art. She was sensual, stunning, alluring. She was someone else. Someone who didn’t jump at the sound of a quiet rapping on the door.

She was someone who sauntered to that door and opened it slowly, teasingly drawing out the moment.

Someone who didn’t recognize the man who faced her.

The man who must be Gavin scorched her body with a long, deliberate look from head to toe. Every part of her came to life under his scrutiny.

“Gavin?” Her voice sounded tinny to her own ears. “That’s you, isn’t it?”

He was dressed all in black and wore a black mask that covered the upper part of his face. He looked dangerous and very, very sexy. Her eyes drifted to his pants. Black leather. His shirt was made of softer material that clung to his muscles. He looked like a lethal cat burglar who planned to surprise some lucky lady in her bedroom and steal her jewels right after ravishing her.

She shivered at the fantasy.

“Let’s go,” Gavin said. His voice sounded lower, rougher than normal. And his tone left no room for anything other than obedience.

“Out there?” She shook her head in panic. “I don’t want anyone to see me.”

“Well, I do.” There was that tone again.

“Gavin, be reasonable. I mean, look at me.” She looked down at her chest, where darkened nipples pushed against the fabric. The sight gave her a wild pulse of excitement. She looked like someone in a movie. Or in a photograph. The photograph flashed into her mind. Her knees went weak.

“I’m looking. So will every man out there. They’ll all wish you belonged to them. But you don’t. You belong to me. Time to go.”

He opened his hand. A leather collar nestled in his palm. A collar just like the one…

She went faint. Gavin had seen the photograph. He knew all the dirty thoughts she’d had. All the air seemed to disappear from her lungs and the room blurred. Would he scorn her now? Shun her as she deserved?

“I’m going to put this on you now,” came Gavin’s stern voice, like a lifeline through her fog. “Once it’s on, you must do what I say. I wouldn’t want to have to use the leash, but I will if I have to.”

She shook her head quickly. She didn’t want a leash. Or maybe she did. Unbearable excitement pounded through her veins. He came close, his presence so overwhelmingly powerful she bowed her head to him. She smelled the spicy, rawhide scent of leather and felt his fingers on her skin. He turned her so her back was to him. Stiff, cool leather surrounded her neck. As soon as he fastened the collar, a strange feeling came over her. By marking her like this, wasn’t he assuming responsibility for her? Anything that happened after this, anything she did, would be his doing.

No one could blame her. Especially not…but she pushed the ghost away.

This was Wild Nights, and she was wearing a mask and a collar. Anything could happen and it would be all right. The sense of freedom intoxicated her.

“Who are you?” she asked him without raising her head, surprising herself with the question. Maybe she wanted the illusion to be complete.

Gavin ran his index finger along the lower edge of the collar, back to front, testing its tightness. Then he went lower, across the exposed skin between the collar and the netting. She wondered if he could feel the frantic beat of the pulse in her throat. He seemed more interested in the curve of her breast, following the plump flesh to the edge of her nipple. There, he scratched the nipple with his thumbnail.

A shivering, silvery feeling shot through her. Her tongue tingled and her whole body jerked in response.

Good God, where had that come from? She never jerked like that. She was always calm and cool, even in bed. But the person who had put on this outfit, the person who loved the feel of a collar around her neck, that person had jerked.

With his thumbnail, he drew a line along the edge of the corset to her other nipple. She held her breath, bracing herself for the thumbnail, but instead he squeezed the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Squeezed and rolled until a sound ripped from her throat that she’d never heard before, never even imagined. A sensual, guttural, needy sound.

Still squeezing her nipple, he leaned close to her ear and said hoarsely, “I’m your master. The master of your body. Everything here is mine. And I intend to use it exactly as I please. Understand?”

Her senses whirling, she nodded.

“As your master, I demand one thing you cannot deny me.”

“Wha… What?”

He tightened his hold on her nipple, plucking it until she cried out. With his other hand he pulled her against his body. She felt his aroused shaft against her ass.

“This. Your response. You are forbidden to hold anything back. Anything. I want your cries, your moans, your screams, your curses, I want to hear it all.”

Coming September 7 from Ellora's Cave.

Go Deep Release Date and Other News

Go Deep releases SEPTEMBER 7!!

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.

You can read an excerpt at the Ellora's Cave site here. I'm really excited about this story, I hope you enjoy it!

OTHER NEWS

In other news, Ethan Cowell from the Receptionist series will be interviewed at The Perfect Man Event!!!! Just look at the authors participating. Wow, I'm honored to be one of them!

His interview (really, I had nothing to do with it!) will be at the fabulous Day Dreaming blog on Saturday, August 20.

And there's more fun in the works. The kids are heading back to school (whew!) and that means we can head "Back to Smut"! This should be an awesome event at Sizzling Hot Book Reviews.

And last but not least ... it's a Labor Day Blog Hop! I just love watching bare-chested men hard at work.

I'll be giving away prizes at all these events. I'll also be chatting at the Whipped Cream review site at 3PM est (that's 11AM Alaska time, in case you wondered!) on Saturday, August 27. Here's the link to the Yahoo group in case you aren't already a member. Please stop by for fun, excerpts and prizes!

Love, Juniper